I got an e-mail about Eddie Vedder playing a show in downtown Phoenix, so I figured I would consider going depending on which tickets were available and cost. I was shocked to find out the tickets were $100 and it is the same cost no matter where you sit in the large theater. Certainly any artist has a right to ask for any price in my opinion. The reason I find this intersting is because it's another story in the evolution of music distribution and how artists are looking to continue making money since downloading has killed their record sales. I kind of understand where he is coming from but he should evolve the idea a bit more and maybe charge half the price for a concert ticket if you purchased the album for $12. I haven't been to a Pearl Jam concert in a very long time so i'm curious as to the cost of a ticket for one of their shows compared to his solo show. What do you think about Eddie Vedder's response to record sales losses?

PEARL JAM star EDDIE VEDDER fears he'll have to increase concert ticket prices after years of fighting to keep them low - because fans keep stealing his songs.
The rocker was one of the leading voices against high ticket fees - and famously took on Ticketmaster in America - but now he feels downloading is killing music and he'll need to seek profits elsewhere.
Vedder says, "A lot of people are getting your music without having to pay, and it's only $12.
"I ordered eggs at a little restaurant in Seattle and it was $9.50. I was thinking, 'You can't spend two extra bucks for a record that you put your heart and soul into?'
"I think the problem is to charge more for tickets, which is something we've always been abhorrent to do; either that or you're gonna have to start accepting sponsorships, or start selling your music to Viagra.
"I'm not sure how we'll do it. I'm glad we gave money away when we did - when it came in from making records. We kind of spread it around and helped people in our community and abroad in different ways."

luckyface

10-08-2012, 08:17 AM

Pearl Jam shows tend to be in the $60-80 range nowadays. They certainly are not the band they used to be when it comes to ticket pricing. Eddie's solo shows have always been higher than Pearl Jam's, so it is not surprising he is charging such an exorbitant amount. In my personal opinion, I wouldn't spend more than $30 for one of his solo shows. Then again, I don't really dig his solo work that much.

wmgaretjax

10-08-2012, 08:43 AM

the real question is... is the loss of sales due to downloading or being incredibly irrelevant? no doubt that interest in his music has been on the decline.

nathanfairchild

10-08-2012, 09:54 AM

is this tour in support of his ukulele album?

Footsteps86

10-08-2012, 10:13 AM

I paid $120 for my pair of GA floor tickets for PJ's show in Montana last weekend through the Ten Club and $170 for my pair of Phoenix EV tickets through 10C. His solo shows are worth it to me. He plays about the same length as he would with PJ. At last year's Long Beach show he seemed much more comfortable playing PJ songs by himself than he did when I saw him in LA on his first solo tour in 2009. If you really want to go, start checking about the week before for ticket drops in the orchestra level. Awesome tickets for EV shows always drop leading up to the show. I've heard some people have scored seats in the first few rows the day of the show on either Ticketmaster or at the box office. Ten Club tickets aren't even guaranteed to be that good.

suprefan

10-08-2012, 10:52 AM

I paid $120 for my pair of GA floor tickets for PJ's show in Montana last weekend through the Ten Club and $170 for my pair of Phoenix EV tickets through 10C. His solo shows are worth it to me. He plays about the same length as he would with PJ. At last year's Long Beach show he seemed much more comfortable playing PJ songs by himself than he did when I saw him in LA on his first solo tour in 2009. If you really want to go, start checking about the week before for ticket drops in the orchestra level. Awesome tickets for EV shows always drop leading up to the show. I've heard some people have scored seats in the first few rows the day of the show on either Ticketmaster or at the box office. Ten Club tickets aren't even guaranteed to be that good.

This is the audience eddier vedder is catering to with $100 ticket prices.

That's why he gets his paycheck, cause there are people WILLING TO PAY. If nobody forked over the money, then vedder would have to rethink how he is going to make money on tour.

Footsteps86

10-08-2012, 11:10 AM

Isn't that the audience every artist is catering to when they tour?

TomAz

10-08-2012, 02:12 PM

I might go to an Eddie Vedder show if someone paid me $100.

GuyInTucson

10-08-2012, 02:56 PM

I might go to an Eddie Vedder show if someone paid me $100.

might

Mugwog

10-08-2012, 04:20 PM

Vedder says, "A lot of people are getting your music without having to pay, and it's only $12.
"I ordered eggs at a little restaurant in Seattle and it was $9.50. I was thinking, 'You can't spend two extra bucks for a record that you put your heart and soul into?'"
Mother fucker, you're telling us how we should spend our money yet you pay $10 for scrambled eggs. No wonder he's broke.

suprefan

10-08-2012, 04:28 PM

Isn't that the audience every artist is catering to when they tour?

40 year old white dudes who cant get over the 90's?

TallGuyCM

10-08-2012, 04:42 PM

Mother fucker, you're telling us how we should spend our money yet you pay $10 for scrambled eggs. No wonder he's broke.

Trust me, he's far from broke.

And yes, PJ and EV's music is hardly relevant these days, but I challenge you to find one band who was more adamantly pushing for change in a recent election year than PJ was in '04...the band covering Dylan's Masters of War on Letterman in September of that year was an absolute call to arms, and remains one of the most chilling performances I've seen on a late night show:

_aB8kSNlz2A

It's a shame there's not more of this going on this year.

Mugwog

10-08-2012, 04:50 PM

Trust me, he's far from broke.

So why he cryin?

TallGuyCM

10-08-2012, 04:58 PM

Don't know. The higher likelihood is that he's so rich he's bored, and that's why he's complaining, rather than being broke.

gaypalmsprings

10-08-2012, 05:01 PM

Singer-songwriter and musician Eddie Vedder is best known as Pearl Jam front man and has a net worth estimated at $80 million. After initially dropping out of high school, Vedder returned to his studies to earn a GED.

Mother fucker, you're telling us how we should spend our money yet you pay $10 for scrambled eggs. No wonder he's broke.

$10 is an extremely common price for eating breakfast out.

Mugwog

10-08-2012, 05:18 PM

$10 for scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and some fruit yes, but just eggs alone? These eggs from chickens who were ok with having their eggs used as food for humans?

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

10-08-2012, 05:25 PM

Maybe you tweet eddie vedder and find out if he really meant "only eggs"

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

10-08-2012, 05:26 PM

Like, do you seriously list all the sides that come with something every time you order or describe what you ate to people?

Mugwog

10-08-2012, 05:39 PM

Yesterday for breakfast at Harbor House I had pancakes with bananas, nuts and whip cream. I also had some biscuits and gravy, unfortunately the gravy was overrun with sausage bits and bacon bits. There were 2 biscuits divided into halves. I was not able to instagram breakfast due to low battery.

That was about $14, not including tip...so maybe if he was talking about the $10 while including a tip also for some scrambled eggs? Well, then he shouldn't give so much free money away at breakfast, then he can give more free money away in music. Although the value of Eddie Vedder music has dropped in demand compared to Skrillex.

jackstraw94086

10-08-2012, 05:42 PM

comparing food prices to entertainment is always fucking retarded. People have entirely different value systems for both so talking about how much you spend each day for coffee or your pretentions free range organic $10 hipster cafe eggs is not relevant when asking someone to buy your CD.
Music is bought with discretionary funds, food is generally not.

Your also making the implicit claim that your own music is somehow as essential to survival, or at least comfortable living, as that food is. Get over yourself.

Mugwog

10-08-2012, 05:43 PM

but jack, its just $12.

Drinkey McDrinkerstein

10-08-2012, 05:46 PM

Yeah, but Eddie isn't considering the other 376 albums I illegally downloaded in the past 6 months. I'd never be able to afford those without stealing them.

Mugwog

10-08-2012, 05:47 PM

But aren't those guys charging way less than $100 to see them?

jackstraw94086

10-08-2012, 05:48 PM

Eddie also assume's his music was worth $12 in the first place. As though if internet piracy didn't exist just as many people would be listining to his music, and the piracy is what's costing him that $12 per download

Footsteps86

10-08-2012, 06:34 PM

40 year old white dudes who cant get over the 90's?

Well, I'm 25 and Mexican so...

IceyHotshot

10-08-2012, 06:39 PM

comparing food prices to entertainment is always fucking retarded.

Not really. That's the whole point of money.

gaypalmsprings

10-08-2012, 06:40 PM

Well, I'm 25 and Mexican so...

Are you single?

luckyface

10-08-2012, 09:33 PM

Trust me, he's far from broke.

And yes, PJ and EV's music is hardly relevant these days, but I challenge you to find one band who was more adamantly pushing for change in a recent election year than PJ was in '04...the band covering Dylan's Masters of War on Letterman in September of that year was an absolute call to arms, and remains one of the most chilling performances I've seen on a late night show:

_aB8kSNlz2A

It's a shame there's not more of this going on this year.

I was at this show. It was pretty intense inside the theatre.

The band seems to have given up on being overt with their presidential choices after the double Bush defeat (and one could argue their 2000 campaign might have actually been a catalyst for putting Bush into office with the Nader bullshit).

TomServo

10-08-2012, 09:53 PM

I resisted the Eddie Vedder ticket prices early on with the same sort of shock response you're having.

Then I quickly came to the realization that any big star who does a small venue ends up being $100 a head, with half going to whoever scalped the ticket. This is how it is when Jack White or The Black Keys or Arcade Fire or whoever demands a large audience plays at the Wiltern or the Palladium or whatnot. Granted, they usually have $50-60 tickets for those who beat the scalpers, but that's a limited number.

So eventually I gave in and saw Eddie and Glen Hansard in Long Beach, and it was one of the best small shows I've ever seen. So... accept the price if you like Eddie, because the show will be worth it. Just imagine it's sold out and you're giving the money to someone who can't go at the last minute, like you would for Jack White or something.